About Anna

As a counsellor and personal coach I am passionate and committed to helping others on their journey to healing and self discovery. 

  • I hold high level, relevant and quality qualifications
  • I take part in regular CPD (continuing professional development) to keep up to date with and continue to broaden my knowledge within the fields of psychotherapy, counselling and coaching
  • I attend regular supervision with another trained and qualified therapist to make sure I am supporting my clients in the best way possible
  • My work is client-centred, my core values being non-judgement, openness, acceptance, warmth and compassion

As a registered member of BACP (British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists) within both their counselling and coaching divisions, I work within an ethical framework which means I hold the wellbeing, needs, and safety of my clients at the heart of my work.

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My Background

I have always loved working with people of all ages and helping them in some way or other. I suppose you could say it is my calling. My background is in education with over 20 years teaching experience. I  specialised in early years (age 0-6) working closely with children and their families. I have supported children with additional needs on a 1:1 basis and taught languages to children and adults. I have worked both in the UK and overseas. I am a mother, daughter, sister, partner, friend, work colleague and member of my community. I have also been a stay-at-home mother and worked for myself.

I'm a regular human being just like you. Some of the challenging stuff I've experienced personally include: separation, divorce, betrayal, difficult family relationships, post natal depression, the various complex stages of parenting, job dissatisfaction, feeling lonely, stuck and unsupported. There have also been some good times! Including: finding out what I'm good at, enjoying my professional life, the fun and joy of mothering, great relationships and connections with others, discovering new people and places. In other words, many of the highs and lows the universe tends to throw our way. Outside of work I like to do the usual things, reading a good book, cooking and eating lovely food, keeping fit, walking my dog Bert in the great outdoors as well as spending time with the people I care about. 

I have spent the last 4 years training to become a counsellor and personal coach. As well as building up my private practice I have worked with Changes, a Bristol based charity helping those experiencing anxiety, loneliness and depression, and within an NHS doctor's surgery supporting patients struggling with managing their mental health. 

If you decide to work with me on your own journey of personal discovery and growth, I will meet you as both an intuitive, empathetic human being as well as a committed professional with a wealth of experience, insight and knowledge to support you along the way. 

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My Personal Journey

I have always found my purpose in supporting others in both my professional and personal life. As part of my extensive training to qualify as a therapist I too have navigated my own path to self discovery through weekly counselling and coaching sessions. It was in this space that I was able to tell my own story, learn to understand my own needs, feel really listened to and discover how to use my own strengths and resources to support myself too. I know how it feels to be the client!

Attempting to get through and manage distressing life events alone can be incredibly challenging, most of us weren't given the tools to cope with and know how to grow from these experiences.  Counselling and coaching gave me the support I needed not only to work through these difficult times, but also the opportunity to get to know, understand and celebrate myself. I realised that in order to manage both my personal and professional relationships better, I first needed to repair the relationship I had with myself. The therapists I worked with supported me in becoming my own best advocate. I began to understand and make sense of the many different versions of myself that have developed over a life time. This allowed me to make the best choices for myself and those most important to me from a place of compassion, awareness and empowerment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why Choose Anna and KOA Counselling?

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Years of Practice in a helping profession

Extensive experience supporting others in a wide range of settings.

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Diverse Clientele

Worked with clients from various backgrounds and life situations.

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Success Stories 

Numerous clients have successfully navigated their journeys to healing and personal growth.

 

 

 

 

 


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Testimonals

'Thank you Anna. You have changed my life. I came to you not knowing who I was anymore. You have helped me to develop a better relationship with my mum and feel more at ease with being a mother myself. I feel calmer and happier in my own skin.' (Lou - anxiety and depression)

'I wanted to get back to flying my microlight aircraft, I had lost all confidence and motivation and didn't know where to start. I didn't realise just how much talking about it could help. Working with Anna helped me to understand how I was getting in my own way.' (David - depression and sadness)

'It sounds silly, but knowing that Anna was interested in listening to me helped so much. After losing my husband I lost my sense of purpose and felt panicky about doing things on my own. I have now found the courage to join a few groups and make friends.' (Julie  - sadness and anxiety)

'After struggling for many years in an unhappy marriage, Anna helped me find a new path. Menopause, managing my elderly parents and teenage kids made life feel impossible. Learning that I'm important too helped me to see myself again and  begin to make the changes I needed.' (Lisa - exhaustion and relationship difficulites)

'Although I'm happy to be moving on I will miss my sessions with Anna. She helped me to come to terms with some things that happened in my past that I hadn't realised were still affecting me. I couldn't understand why I felt so angry all the time and unable to say how I feel. I am now able to stop and think before I act and let people know what's going on for me.' (Nate - anger and procrastination)